From Yakubu Busari,Jos
Hassan
The Plateau State Chairman of the Inter-party Advisory Committee (IPAC), the umbrella body of registered Political Parties in Nigeria, Hon .Chris Hassan has called on all the 19 political parties participating in the state upcoming Local Government poll to corporate with the state electoral commission for a successful outcome of the exercise to be conducted in the 325 wards for 17 Chairmanship, deputy Chairmanship and Councillorship positions
Hassan who is also the State Chapter Chairman of the governing People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in an exclusive interview with few media practitioners at the secretariat on Monday said the party has concluded arrangement for the conduct of ward congresses and primaries which produced their flag bearers .
He stated that that apart from registered political parties, PLASIEC has the number of parties coming to participate in the state election .
Hassan assured the people of Plateau State that with the transparent and committed leadership of the commission’s Chairman, Cishak Longji, the electorate should not be entertaining any fear because “they’re coming with a lot of innovation and transparency .”
He admonished that the pedigree of officials in PLASIEC, ” we should expect responsible results in the electoral process in the state unlike in the past when results were still being collated while government had already announced all the candidates of the ruling party as the winners.”
“What we saw in the past was that within some few hours they were already taken their oaths of office and that exercise killed the electoral system but with the caliber of PLASIEC officials we trusting God that they’re going to strengthen our democracy because this election is very key going by the grassroots nature of the electoral process so far.”
Hassan disclosed that with the recent financial autonomy granted the local governments in Nigeria by the federal government, it was time to produce credible politicians to the hemp of affairs and grassroots leadership.
He said, with adequate sensitization and preparation from PLASIEC, the LG exercise would be rancour free, just as screening has begun in earnest by all the political parties that have fielded candidates are going to be screen .
Chris Hassan appealed to those aspirants who are unable to complete payment for their nomination of interest form to bear with the Commission because he considered the fees charged by PLASIECto be reasonable when compared with similar situation in Bauchi, Kano and Borno states.
He explained further that some of the organizations are coming from the outside and media , security are going to be involve and democracy remain one of the most expensive exercise ,we are trusting God.
Hassan maintained a stand that the ward congress of his party, the PDP was peaceful because 70% of the candidates emerged through consensus.
